Actias, West of Eveskyr (Highforge)
Scene I - Almost a month later (Klinten, Fyrmont, Late summer, 19th day, 992 AC)

After several false rumors the most substantial one you hear is from the area near Verge, where Skarda and his men are suspected of the attack on Lady Mira Actavius estate, just a few miles south west of Retameron's hometown (http://pandius.com/karameikos-3_2m_draft.png).
As soon as the attack is confirmed, you travel there as fast as possible by horse, reaching the area after only two days of fast riding.
Beside you three, Retameron, Cardia, Halia and Sam also Gila, Gabriel, Karto and Kesh are present.
Retameron explains Lady Mira is related to the nearby thyatian family of the Actavius, but being Traladaran she was more or less shunned by the family after the death of his husband. Lady Mira lived on the estate, a small castle, with a daughter and about ten other people among servants and guards. The estate is among the woods, in a region full of hazelnuts, chestnuts and cherry trees.
There are several nearby farms who were raided too. When you arrive Teranon, Retameron's father who you already met in the past, is already there interrogating a few farmers and herders who escaped the raid. Teranon estimates more than 50 people have been kidnapped.
"This is Skarda mocking us" Retameron says, fuming in anger.
"They have taken people and livestock as usual - Teranon says - leaving no one behind. We can try to look at the estate again, hoping in some trace".
You all go to examine the estate, a sturdy stone house protected by a wooden fence, but without a moat.
It's clear the assailants have somehow appeared in the courtyard, full of traces of feet, then destroyed the main door, apparently with fire. There was clearly a battle inside the house, with smashed furniture and blood around.
"We have to find something - Retameron says - Anything that could help us. Lady Mira and her daughter, Agata, were friends. We have to find something!"
Retameron is clearly quite worn out by this new attack. And the others, including Gila and Karto, do not seem less angered and frustrated.

Actias, West of Eveskyr (Highforge)
Scene I - Almost a month later (Klinten, Fyrmont, Late summer, 19th day, 992 AC)

The structure of the building seems intacts, but Bofar thinks he may have found a secret door hidden in the wall of the first floor.
Taradain can roughly imagine what happened two days before. Attackers coming from the main door, guards fighting them in the entry hall but losing to superior numbers. The amount of blood is relatively limited, indicating that probably most or all people have been captured alive.
Some attackers also went to the kitchen and the pantry, where at least two people were taken and carried away, and others went to the first floor, where three other people were taken. Then it seems they returned with prisoners in the external courtyard, and disappeared.
But Lucius also notice there is something else in the courtyard. Another small battle took place there, but tracks are confusing. Sam and Taradain take a look to them too.
"It is as some of the people who came out from nowhere to attack this place fought others coming out from the same place too", Sam says.
"Rebels maybe" Gila says. "Or prisoners trying to escape?" Retameron says.
Lucius also notice another boot print in the courtyard, leading to the back of the building.

Actias, West of Eveskyr (Highforge)
Scene I - Almost a month later (Klinten, Fyrmont, Late summer, 19th day, 992 AC)

Going up the stairs Bofar and Gila can easily open the door concealed in the wall. Beyond it there is a stone corridor which opens into a big room with what looks like a small bed on the ground, a plate, a turned off oil lamp. As soon as you enter the room with your light you see a scared black haired little girl of about thirteen years pointing a knife at you. But the girl smiles and let the knife fall as soon as she sees Retameron.
"Agata, you are safe!", the warrior says, hugging the girl.
"Mom told me to hide and stay hidden. I went outside last night but there was none around I was so afraid they had left men behind. Where did they take mom and the others?"
Retameron explain the situation as best as he can, telling her that apparently all the occupants of the estate have been taken, except for her.
"I am sorry but we have to ask you a lot o questions - Gila says to the girl - anything can be useful".

Actias, West of Eveskyr (Highforge)
Scene I - Almost a month later (Klinten, Fyrmont, Late summer, 19th day, 992 AC)

Agata replies to everything Gila, Retameron and the others ask her, but she has not seen much. Her mother hid her in the secret room as soon as it was clear someone was attacking the small castle. She only saw some men dressed in gray and black who fortunately did not see her enter the passage. She heard screams for a while, then silence. She exited the secret room only once and found none around.
The only part which means something to you is the colours the attackers dressed, which fit with Skarda's men you saw in the Wufwolde hills.
Leaving for a while Agata with Gila and Gabriel, you and all the others follow the other clue, the print leading to the back.
Behind the building indeed there is a wooden hatch, leading apparently to an underground room, possibly a deposit for garden tools or other supplies. There is blood on the hatch, as if someone who was wounded opened it...

Actias, West of Eveskyr (Highforge)
Scene I - Almost a month later (Klinten, Fyrmont, Late summer, 19th day, 992 AC)

The hatch is not locked, but the interior is dark. Sam, Cardia and the all the others except for Lucius and Taradain can soon see in the dark that there is a man on the ground below. Cardia creates a small magical light for the humans and you all go down cautiously, but the figure does not move and the room, indeed a small warehouse, has no other occupant.
You quickly recognize the uniform, ruined and dirty, as one of the Knights of the Three Sun. You recall the man too, he was one of Arteris Penhaligon bodyguards, and he entered the mirror with Bonth, Desmond and the others. Now he is dead, apparently since the attack or shortly after. He has a sword wound crossing his stomach and chest, and no armor or shield. Only a small dagger lies near him. Under the magical light, you see he has tried to write something with his own blood.
"Stal", then an unrecognizable line. He died before completing his writing.

Actias, West of Eveskyr (Highforge)
Scene I - Almost a month later (Klinten, Fyrmont, Late summer, 19th day, 992 AC)

Sam says the knight's traces apparently appear in the courtyard where all the other traces appeared and end here. So it is possible that Desmond and the others, or at least part of them, tried to escape from the magic mirror while Skarda and his raiders were attacking this small castle. But it also seem they failed and only this knight managed to escape. The raiders probably lost him, or they would have taken the corpse to erase traces as they usually do.
Retameron agrees with Sam. Kesh says in Verge an experienced cleric could try a "Speak with the dead" spell to ask the knight three questions, if we take him there.
"Stal could mean Stallanford, near Penhaligon - Cardia says - which is quite a big town to hit".
"And at least 6 days away from here, riding fast", Retameron says.

Lucius suggests sending a smaller group to Verge to have the priest extract more information from the dead knight. In particular, whether he meant Stallanford, where is Skarda's lair, and how he managed to flee.

Actias, West of Eveskyr (Highforge)
Scene I - Almost a month later (Klinten, Fyrmont, Late summer, 19th day, 992 AC)

"Yes we should send a warning and interrogate the dead knight - Teranon says - in Verge there is a wizard who could help those who will remain behind reach the others".
"I will stay behind with Kesh - says Gila - and we will join you on the road".
Retameron agrees. He will ride to Stallanford as soon as possible with Cardia, Sam, Halia, Karto and you three. Fain Flinn and Lord Arturus in Penhaligon will also be warned, so that they could prepare an army to defend Stallanford.
"If this work, the trap Skarda meant for us will hit him instead!" Retameron says.

Everyone except for Teranon, his men, the young Agata, Gila and Kesh all the others leave as soon as possible by horse to reach the road to Verge. Still the middle of the day has passed already and it takes some time to reach the town, as the estate was connected to Verge by a country trail rather than a proper road. You do not stop in Verge to cover some more road before nightfall and reach a group of farms north of Verge by evening, a place inhabited by Traladaran and Thyatian families which Retameron knows well, with a small caravanserai for travellers going to Threshold.
"There are 90 miles of road to Stallanford - Retameron says - we are now at about 20 miles to the crossroad south of Threshold. It is a good road and we should be able to cover it tomorrow, but later it's a mud trail. Still if doesn't rain we could be able to cover the next 15 miles to Armstead/Knosht the following day. Then 20 more miles to Irenke, but the road is bumpy and twisted, and we will hardly be able to cover it in one day. 20 more miles of the Wufwolde hills from Irenke to Penhaligon. 16 more from Penhaligon to Stallanford, but is the paved new Duke's Road, so we should finish it in half a day. Four or five days could be exceedingly optimistic I fear. We will also have to stop in Penhaligon at least for two or three hours to speak with Fain Flinn and Lord Arturus. And we are travelling near the Antilles castle tomorrow and then for three days in the Wufwolde hills, where hostile encounters cannot be ruled out. We could travel faster only by risking to hurt the horses, so I do not recommend it".
(You can follow the road in the 3.2 mph map http://pandius.com/karameikos-3_2m_draft.png or in this 1mph map up to Armstead http://pandius.com/Highforge_Kingdom.png)

"Do not worry Bofar, I am no expert rider too" Karto says smiling.
The day after you ride easily to the crossroad south of Threshold. There is a inn there, where you already stopped shortly in your previous travels from Highforge to Threshold. You are eating and drinking something in the quiet common room, when Gila, Gabriel and Kesh enter the room and reach your table.
"I have spoken with the dead Three Suns knight - Kesh says as soon as he sits - we have learned that Skarda plans a big attack on Stallanford with his troops and orc allies for the 1st day of Ambyrmont, the Harvest festival. Teranon already sent a message to Penhaligon".
"8 days from now - Retameron says - Penhaligon will not be able to mobilize a full force in such a short time, but at least they will know an attack is coming".

"Sure, we should send a message to them too - Retameron says - even if is more far from Stallanford, almost 40 miles of hills and mountains".
Next day the weather is good so you can easily cover the 15 miles to Armstead/Knosht, a town on the road with several wizard towers. You spend the night in the town and the day after you ride again as fast as possible to Irenke, a town of traders and adventurers. In both locations Retameron and Gila speak to the local townmasters, who also agree to send people to defend Stallanford as soon as possible.
In Irenke the locals say the situation has been mostly good after the battle in the Wufwolde hills of some months ago, even if a few groups of orcs have attacked caravans and travellers. There has not been much bloodshed however, have they seemed just interested in acquiting weapons, gold and food. Search parties from Irenke later have found traces of the orcs moving to the north.
The next day you ride to Penhaligon and manage, barely, to reach it just after the sunset. The last two days of riding have been uneventful but very tiresome, so Retameron just announces you Lord Arturus and Fain Flinn, but then let you rest to meet with them the day after.
Penhaligon is a fortified town of some thousand inhabitants, quite busy and crowded in this season, similar to Threshold in size.
The town is dominated by the Castle of Lord Arturus and by the House of the Three Suns, seat of the famous Knightly order. Retameron has find rooms for you at The Merchant's Rest, best inn in the town.
"Probably some of us should go directly to Stallanford tomorrow and study the place, speaks with the locals and so on - Retameron says - but others should stay here some days. I know people we could recruit to help us, if they are in town, but I'll have to visit all the local inns and taverns to know. Who wants to go to Stallanford immediately and who prefers to stay here with me a few days?"